Ergonomic seating apparatus with inclined femoral portion

Abstract

A seat having a base and a seating section. The seat section has an upwardly inclined portion, a substantially horizontal portion and an inclined support portion. The inclined portion supports the femurs of a person so that the femurs and knees are supported in a position below the person's acetabulum, the horizontal portion receives and holds the ischial bones and the inclined portion supports a person's gluteal muscles and sacro-illiac ligaments. The seat has a backrest to support a person between the second and third lumbar vertebrae when a person is seated on the apparatus. The backrest has a support surface which is positioned between the rear of the seat and the first intermediate positions so that the person's gluteal muscles can extend behind the support surface between the rear of the seat portion and the support surface of the backrest.

I claim: 
     
       1. A seating apparatus including: a seat portion for connection to a base so that the seating apparatus can be supported on the ground, said seat portion having a front and a rear;   said seat portion having   (a) an upwardly inclined portion which inclines upwardly from the front of the seat portion to a first intermediate position between the front and rear of the seat portion;   (b) an inclined support portion extending between a second intermediate position and the rear of the seat portion;   (c) a substantially flat horizontal portion extending from the first intermediate position to the second intermediate position;   (d) the inclined support portion being inclined at an angle of between 30° to 50° with respect to the substantially flat horizontal portion;   wherein the upwardly inclined portion is for supporting the femurs of a person so that the femurs and knees are supported in a position below the person's acetabulum, said substantially flat horizontal portion being for receiving and holding the ischial bones when the person sits down and said inclined support portion being for supporting the person's gluteal muscles and sacra-iliac ligaments;   the upwardly inclined portion including a first cushioning material;   the flat horizontal portion including a second cushioning material; and   the first cushioning material being denser than the second cushioning material so that when a person sits on the seating apparatus the second cushioning material is compressed and holds the ischial bones and the first cushioning material which is of higher density than the second cushioning material prevents a person from slipping forward on the seating apparatus.   
     
     
       2. The seating apparatus of claim 1 wherein the upwardly inclined portion is inclined at an angle of between 30° and 50° with respect to the horizontal, and the substantially horizontal section has a length of between 160 and 180 mms. 
     
     
       3. The seating apparatus of claim 1 wherein a further covering cushion material is provided over the substantially horizontal portion and the inclined support portion with the further covering cushion material extending from the abutment surface to the rear of the seat portion. 
     
     
       4. The seating apparatus of claim 1 wherein the seating apparatus includes a seat frame member which includes an upwardly inclined frame section forming part of the upwardly inclined section, a substantially horizontal frame section which forms part of the substantially horizontal section and an inclined support frame section which forms part of the inclined support portion. 
     
     
       5. The seating apparatus of claim 1 wherein the third cushioning material diverges away from the inclined support frame portion so that it is thicker in a position adjacent to the rear of the seat portion than at a position adjacent the second intermediate position. 
     
     
       6. The seating apparatus of claim 1 wherein the seating apparatus has a backrest positionable above the seat portion so as to support a person between the second and third lumbar vertebrae when a person is seated on the seating apparatus, the backrest having a support surface which is positioned between the rear of the seat portion and the first intermediate position so that the person's gluteal muscles can extend behind the support surface between the rear of the seat portion and the support surface of the backrest. 
     
     
       7. The seating apparatus of claim 1 wherein the inclined support portion also includes a third cushioning material which is of higher density than the second cushioning material. 
     
     
       8. The seating apparatus of claim 7 wherein the first and third cushioning materials are of the same density. 
     
     
       9. The seating apparatus of claim 8 wherein the first and third cushioning materials comprise high density foam and the second cushioning material comprises medium density foam. 
     
     
       10. The seating apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first cushioning material extends to a point above the second cushioning material to provide an abutment surface and the first cushioning material has a top portion located above the second cushioning material. 
     
     
       11. The seating apparatus of claim 1 wherein a covering cushion material is provided over the first cushioning material and the covering cushioning material extends from the front of the seat portion to the top portion. 
     
     
       12. A seating apparatus including: a seat portion for connection to a base so that the seating apparatus can be supported on the ground, said seat portion having a front and a rear;   said seat portion having   (a) an upwardly inclined portion which inclines upwardly from the front of the seat portion to a first intermediate portion between the front and rear of the seat portion, the upwardly inclined portion having a first cushioning material;   (b) a substantially horizontal portion extending from the first intermediate position to a second intermediate position, the horizontal portion having a second cushioning material; and   (c) an inclined support portion extending between the second intermediate position and the rear of the seat portion;   (d) a support frame member supporting the upwardly inclined portion, the horizontal flat portion and the inclined support portion, the support frame member having an inclined support frame portion;   wherein the upwardly inclined portion is for supporting the femurs of a person so that the femurs and knees are supported in a position below the person's acetabulum, said substantially horizontal portion being for receiving and holding the ischial bones when the person sits down and said inclined support portion being for supporting the person's gluteal muscles and sacra-iliac ligaments,   the inclined support portion also including a third cushioning material which is of higher density than the second cushioning material,   the third cushioning material diverging away from the inclined support frame portion so that it is thicker, in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the inclined support portion in a position adjacent to the end of the inclined support portion than at a position adjacent the second intermediate position.   
     
     
       13. The seating apparatus of claim 12, wherein the upwardly inclined portion is inclined at an angle of between 30° and 50° with respect to the horizontal, the substantially horizontal section has a length of between 160 and 180 mms and the inclined support portion is inclined at an angle between 30° and 50° to the horizontal. 
     
     
       14. The seating apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first cushioning material extends to a point above the second cushioning material to provide an abutment surface and the first cushioning material has a top portion located above the second cushioning material. 
     
     
       15. The seating apparatus of claim 13, wherein a covering cushion material is provided over the first cushioning material and the covering cushioning material extends from the front of the seat portion to the top portion. 
     
     
       16. The seating apparatus of claim 15, wherein a further covering cushion material is provided over the substantially horizontal portion and the inclined support portion with the further covering cushion material extending from the abutment surface to the rear of the seat portion. 
     
     
       17. The seating apparatus of claim 12, wherein the upwardly inclined portion includes a first cushioning material and the horizontal section includes a second cushioning material, the first cushioning material being denser than the second cushioning material so that when a person sits on the seating apparatus the second cushioning material is compressed and holds the ischial bones and the first cushioning material which is of higher density than the second cushioning material prevents a person from slipping forward on the seating apparatus. 
     
     
       18. The seating apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first and third cushioning materials are of the same density. 
     
     
       19. The seating apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first and third cushioning materials comprise high density foam and the second cushioning material comprises medium density foam. 
     
     
       20. The seating apparatus of claim 12, wherein the seating apparatus includes a seat frame member which includes an upwardly inclined frame section forming part of the upwardly inclined section, a substantially horizontal frame section which forms part of the substantially horizontal section and an inclined support frame section which forms part of the inclined support portion. 
     
     
       21. The seating apparatus of claim 12, wherein the seating apparatus has a backrest positionable above the seat portion so as to support a person between the second and third lumbar vertebrae when a person is seated on the seating apparatus, the backrest having a support surface which is positioned between the rear of the seat portion and the first intermediate position so that the person's gluteal muscles can extend behind the support surface between the rear of the seat portion and the support surface of the backrest. 
     
     
       22. A seating apparatus including: a seat portion for connection to a base so that the seating apparatus can be supported on the ground, said seat portion having a front and a rear;   said seat portion having   (a) an upwardly inclined portion which inclines upwardly from the front of the seat portion to a first intermediate position between the front and rear of the seat portion;   (b) an inclined support portion extending between a second intermediate position and the rear of the seat portion;   (c) a substantially horizontal portion between the first intermediate position to the second intermediate position;   wherein the upwardly inclined portion is for supporting the femurs of a person so that the femurs and knees are supported in a position below the person's acetabulum, said substantially horizontal portion being for receiving and holding the ischial bones when the person sits down and said inclined support portion being for supporting the person's gluteal muscles and sacra-iliac ligaments;   the upwardly inclined portion including a first cushioning material;   the horizontal portion including a second cushioning material; and   the first cushioning material being denser than the second cushioning material so that when a person sits on the seating apparatus the second cushioning material is compressed and holds the ischial bones and the first cushioning material which is of higher density than the second cushioning material prevents a person from slipping forward on the seating apparatus,   the inclined support portion also including a third cushioning material which is of higher density than the second cushioning material.   
     
     
       23. The seating apparatus of claim 22, wherein the first and third cushioning materials are of the same density. 
     
     
       24. The seating apparatus of claim 23, wherein the first and third cushioning materials comprise high density foam and the second cushioning material comprises medium density foam. 
     
     
       25. The seating apparatus of claim 22, wherein the first cushioning material extends to a point above the second cushioning material to provide an abutment surface and the first cushioning material has a top portion located above the second cushioning material. 
     
     
       26. The seating apparatus of claim 22, wherein a covering cushion material is provided over the first cushioning material and the covering cushioning material extends from the front of the seat portion to the top portion. 
     
     
       27. The seating apparatus including: a seat portion for connection to a base so that the seating apparatus can be supported on the ground, said seat portion having a front and a rear;   said seat portion having   (a) an upwardly inclined portion which inclines upwardly from the front of the seat portion to a first intermediate position between the front and rear of the seat portion;   (b) an inclined support portion extending between a second intermediate position and the rear of the seat portion;   (c) a substantially flat horizontal portion extending from the first intermediate position to the second intermediate position;   wherein the upwardly inclined portion is for supporting the femurs of a person so that the femurs and knees are supported in a position below the person's acetabulum, said substantially flat horizontal portion being for receiving and holding the ischial bones when the person sits down and said inclined support portion being for supporting the person's gluteal muscles and sacra-iliac ligaments;   the upwardly inclined portion including a first cushioning material;   the flat horizontal portion including a second cushioning material; and   the first cushioning material being denser than the second cushioning material so that when a person sits on the seating apparatus the second cushioning material is compressed and holds the ischial bones and the first cushioning material which is of higher density than the second cushioning material prevents a person from slipping forward on the seating apparatus;   the inclined support portion including a third cushioning material, said third cushioning material being of a higher density than said second cushioning material.   
     
     
       28. The seating apparatus of claim 27 wherein the first and third cushioning materials are of the same density. 
     
     
       29. The seating apparatus of claim 28 wherein the first and third cushioning materials comprise high density foam and the second cushioning material comprises medium density foam.